A converter unit configured to couple to a photovoltaic panel may include a controller that monitors: an output voltage and output current obtained from the photovoltaic panel by a switching power core within the converter unit, and an output voltage and output current produced by the switching power core. The controller may calculate a desired duty-cycle value based on the monitored values, and implement a mapping algorithm that translates the duty-cycle value to a pulse-width value and a modulus value. The pulse-width value and the modulus value may be used to simultaneously respectively modulate the pulse-width and pulse-period of a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal, while maintaining an appropriate linear final duty-cycle ratio between the pulse-width and the pulse-period of the PWM signal. The PWM signal may be provided to the switching power core to control the switching of the switching power core.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A control system comprising: an input configured to receive a duty-cycle value; a conversion block configured to generate a modulus value and a pulse-width value (PWV) based on the received input duty-cycle value; and a pulse-generator configured to: generate a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal; and simultaneously modulate: a frequency of the PWM signal according to the generated modulus value; and a pulse-width of the PWM signal according to the generated PWV; and an output configured to provide the PWM signal to a switching power converter to control the switching power converter.
2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the conversion block is configured to: implement a warp function that maps the modulus value to the input duty-cycle value; and implement a second function that maps the PWV to the modulus value and to the input duty-cycle value to maintain a desired linear ratio between the PWV and a pulse-period of the PWM signal.
3. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the conversion block is programmable with a mapping algorithm to map the modulus value to the input duty-cycle value, and further to map the PWV to the modulus value and to the input duty-cycle value; wherein the conversion block is configured to generate the modulus value and the PWV according to the mapping algorithm.
4. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the pulse generator comprises a digital timer having both modulus and pulse-width programming capability, and configured to generate the PWM signal.
5. A power converter comprising: a signal generating circuit configured to: receive an input duty-cycle value and generate a modulus value and a pulse-width value (PWV) based on the received input duty-cycle value; and generate a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal, wherein in generating the PWM signal, the signal generating circuit is configured to: simultaneously modulate: a frequency of the PWM signal according to the generated modulus value; and a pulse-width of the PWM signal according to the generated PWV; and a control system configured to: monitor parameters of the power converter, wherein the parameters comprise one or more of: input voltage of the power converter; input current of the power converter; output voltage of the power converter; or output current of the power converter; and generate and supply the input duty-cycle value to the signal generating circuit based on the monitored parameters of the power converter.
6. The power converter of claim 5 , wherein the signal generating circuit is programmable with a mapping algorithm to: map the modulus value to the input duty-cycle value; and map the PWV to the modulus value and to the input duty-cycle value to maintain a specified relationship between the PWV and an instantaneous frequency of the PWM signal.
7. The power converter of claim 5 , wherein the signal generating circuit comprises: a divider circuit configured to receive a first clock signal and the modulus value, and generate a divider modulus control signal based on the first clock signal and the modulus value; and a pulse generator digital timer configured to generate the PWM signal according to the divider modulus control signal and the PWV.
8. The power converter of claim 5 , further comprising a switching power core configured to receive the PWM signal, and generate the output voltage of the power converter according to the PWM signal.
9. The power converter of claim 8 , wherein the control system comprises: first analog to digital converters (ADCs) configured to generate first numeric values representative of the input voltage of the power converter and the input current of the power converter; second ADCs configured to generate second numeric values representative of the output voltage of the power converter and the output current of the power converter; and a controller configured to calculate the input duty-cycle value from at least the first and second numeric values.
10. The power converter of claim 9 , wherein the controller is programmable with a control algorithm to calculate the input duty-cycle from at least the first and second numeric values and one or more additional input parameters.
11. A method for controlling a switching power converter, the method comprising: generating a modulus value and a pulse-width value (PWV) from a duty-cycle value (DCV); generating a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal, said generating the PWM signal comprising: simultaneously modulating an instantaneous frequency and a pulse-width of the PWM signal, said simultaneously modulating comprising: setting a pulse-period corresponding to the instantaneous frequency of the PWM signal according to the modulus value; and setting the pulse-width of the PWM signal according to the PWV; and supplying the PWM signal to a switching power core to control a switching of the switching power converter.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said generating the modulus value comprises mapping the modulus value to the DCV according to a specified mapping function.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said generating the PWV comprises mapping the PWV to the modulus value and to the DCV.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein said generating the modulus value and the PWV comprises maintaining a specified functional relationship between the PWV and the pulse-period.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the specified functional relationship is a specified linear relationship.
16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the switching power core generating an output voltage according to the PWM signal and an input voltage value.
17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising generating the DCV according to one or more of: an input voltage of the power converter; an input current of the power converter; an output voltage of the power converter; or an output current of the power converter.
18. A method for using dynamic pulse-width and frequency modulation to control switching of a switching power converter, the method comprising: determining a duty-cycle value (DCV) for a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal; translating the DCV to a first parameter and a second parameter; simultaneously modulating a pulse-width (PW) and a pulse-period (PP) of the PWM signal, comprising: modulating the PP according to the first parameter; and modulating the PW according to the second parameter; and maintaining a specified functional relationship between the PW and the PP of the PWM signal.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein said maintaining the specified functional relationship between the PW and the PP of the PWM signal comprises maintaining a linear relationship between the PW and the PP of the PWM signal.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein said translating comprises: mapping the first parameter to the DCV according to a function determining a value of the first parameter based on the DCV and one or more of: a specified DCV range; a specified minimum value for the first parameter; or a specified maximum value for the first parameter.
21. The method of claim 18 , wherein said translating comprises: mapping the second parameter to the first parameter and to the DCV according to a function determining a value of the second parameter based on the DCV and the first parameter and one or more of: a minimum value for the PWV; or a specified DCV range.
22. The method of claim 18 , wherein said determining the DCV comprises: monitoring parameters comprising one or more of: an input voltage of the switching power converter; an input current of the switching power converter; an output voltage of the switching power converter; or an output current of the switching power converter; and calculating the DCV according to the monitored parameters.
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January 27, 2012
May 6, 2014
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